Mass effect: Shila'Gersult
by N7Striker
Summary: Shila'Gersult is a Quarian infiltrator caught in the Reaper war. While a hard woman, she must defend one of her people, fight the war, and help turn the tide on Palaven. However, she faces an old enemy who have scarred her life, and gains the attention of Cerberus and even Harbinger.
1. Chapter 1

Mass effect: Shila'Gersult

Chapter one: Prologue Date: February 5, 2186. 0426 hours. Tuchanka battlefields.

Shila'Gersult Vas Neema Nar Qwib Qwib moved across the desert sands of Tuchanka. The young Quarian moved so fast that the Reapers could not keep track of her. Her radiation counter flickered a little bit; nevertheless, she would be fine for a short time. After making her way past the radioactive zone, she then sat down and breathed hard. Sweat dripped from her face onto her faceplate.

She then grabbed her black widow sniper rifle and aimed it at a group of Reapers. She aimed and fired her weapon at the Marauder, and after a couple more shots, she reloaded and ran again. She for the last few days hated being stuck on the Krogan homeworld. Being stuck on a world the Krogan nuked a few times over pissed the Quarian infiltrator off greatly.

"Keelah, when will I get off this world?" Shila muttered to herself. A Husk jumped on her a minute later. In response, she stuck her omni blade in its torso.

"And if it wasn't for the Humans, we would not be fighting these creepers!"

Shila then continued running. Ever since the Reaper war began, Shila fought Garrel over the Geth. She then left the Migrant fleet, only promising to return should they not destroy themselves. In the meantime, she will fight the real threat: The Reapers.

"Hey, is anyone still kicking out there?" A Krogan warlord asked over the comm link. "This is Shila'Gersult, I'm still alive. Barely….."

"We need help fending off some Reaper assholes! Get your ass over here!"

"Right! I'll be there in a few!" Shila then cut the comm link. "Damn Krogan….."

Over at a Krogan camp, multiple Krogan were under siege. On top of a building, Shila skidded over and aimed her weapon. She then squeezed off a few shots, all of them hits. A couple Brutes, along with a Banshee, went after the Krogan. Shila pulled out her Cobra missile launcher and fired it. When the missile made contact, most of Reapers were killed in the explosion, and the Banshee was gone.

"Wait…."

The same Banshee appeared behind Shila. She turned around and fired her sniper rifle, but it did no good. The Quarian leaped to the side, and fired again. This time, the bullet tore through the Banshee's head, knocking it back. Shila then reloaded her weapon and pulled off three more shots as fast as she could. The Banshee then fell to the ground, dead.

"Stay down you Bosh'tet…." She muttered.

Shila then returned to her sniping position and fired upon the Reaper forces. One by one, she picked them off. When the dust settled, she climbed down and regrouped with the Krogan shock troops.

"I want this force ready to move in ten!" Warlord Julock shouted. The massive Krogan then pushed past the rest until he saw Shila. He then stood in front of the Quarian.

"What is a Quarian doing here? Shouldn't you be fixing a duct tape ship?"

"Shouldn't you be whining about the Genophage?" Shila replied.

Julock then grunted and pushed past her. "The Genophage has just been cured! Your argument is therefor, outdated! I have no time for your shit Quarian! I am Krogan Warlord Julock! Now, if you have something to say, then say it!"

"I'll be going now, let me know when we are not on this godforsaken planet." Shila said before walking off.

"Unhelpful pyjak…"

A few minutes later, a Reaper destroyer fell from the sky and landed. The Krogan yelled a loud battle cry before charging the massive thing. Shila, in turn, ran as fast as she could. The Reaper fired at the Krogan, killing them all in less than five minutes. After a few minutes of running, Shila sat down. The building was study enough to prevent the Reaper from crossing over it.

"Keelah…." She placed her hand on her chest and sat there. Ten minutes later, Krogan warlord Julock sat next to her.

"I told them they can't kill it that way, and the pyjaks still tried…. Idiots…"

"At least you ran. I'm sure as hell not getting killed out here!"

They both sat as the sun rose on the horizon. The ground shook as the Reaper moved and fired it's weapon at other Krogan who were unlucky enough to be found.

"I need to move farther away from that thing. Make some distance, find a place to rest…. I've been fighting for the past three days without food or sleep."

"I agree. We are not going to live very long like this." Julock added

"Notice I said I, not we."

"And you would get slaughtered out there quickly without a Krogan with you. Tuchanka kills the weak, torments the slow, and destroys the stupid. You know little of this world, Quarian. You every day lived on a nice, safe, and clean ship. Infection is not your only worry out here."

Shila then grabbed her sniper rifle and placed it on her back as she got up. "You can come with me if you can keep up. If you fall behind, I'm leaving you. If you try to get the remaining water I have, I'm going to kill you. Find your own resources." Shila coldly said before she started walking.

"Are you Quarians always like this?" Julock asked. Shila did not answer his question.

For hours, the two wondered through the desert sands of Tuchanka. After a close call with a Thresher Maw, almost getting stomped on by another Reaper destroyer, and fighting off a few Varren, Shila and Julock sat down. After a minute of silence, Shila noticed a red laser move across her hand.

"Move!" Shila shouted as she leaped. A bullet whizzed by her, striking Julock on his shoulder. A Cerberus Nemesis sniper stood there, cut off from the rest of her unit. She aimed at Shila again, and fired. The shot dropped her kinetic barriers completely when it hit her. Shila ducked behind a boulder as she drew her sniper rifle.

She also noticed the air shimmering and distort. It moved closer to her.

"Phantom!" Shila shouted.

The Phantom decloaked, and swung her sword and struck Shila's black window. Shila kicked the Phantom back away from her and took the A second later, the Phantom was lifted in the air by Julock. The massive Krogan then tore the Phantom's arms off and slammed her into the ground before slamming his foot into her face. Blood splattered everywhere.

"Keelah!" Shila shouted.

"Heh heh….. Without me, you'd be dead by now."

Shila then took her sidearm and aimed it at the Nemesis. A few shots later, the Nemesis fell. Her body then exploded. She then heard an Atlas drop from orbit nearby, along with gunfire. "We need to move!" Shila ordered Julock. The two then started running towards the gunfire.

"Cover fire!" Lieutenant MacLean shouted. He and the Asari Justicar Salha fired upon the Cerberus Atlas mech. Troopers moved behind the mech as well, firing their mattock rifles. Jackson then appeared in the middle of the group, and swung his biotic whips, killing all those around him. All the troopers turned to face him, only to be beheaded by the Phoenix vanguard. He then charged again, this time slamming into a Dragoon.

"That is rather…. Unnecessary..." Salha muttered. Jackson was yelling and laughing as Cerberus troopers were being cut down left and right. The Atlas then turned to face them. Salha deployed her biotic barrier as the Atlas aimed its rocket launcher at them. It was about to fire.

Then, by some luck, a Krogan jumped on the Atlas and slammed his hammer into the cockpit. The Atlas reeled back, damaged. He then screamed in rage as he jabbed his hand through the cockpit and grabbed the pilot. He then tore him right out and threw him. A second later, a Quarian ran up to the Atlas and opened the cockpit of the Atlas before climbing in. After all the survivors were killed, the two squads met up.

"Pretty smooth move you did there Krogan." Jackson said.

"Yes. You did deal with that Atlas very well."

"Damn fine work. At least with that, we may survive the last wave."

Shila then climbed out and started on repairs. The Phoenix vanguard was staring at her.

"You know, I have seen a Quarian before under that suit….. She was pretty…. For an alien…" Jackson said in a low tone.

"Yeah, sure… Because our faces look like yours doesn't mean we're going to be kissing, Cerberus." Shila replied.

"How old are you?"

"Don't even try to make nice with me! I still don't trust you, and now you're in my light." Shila said as she finished on her repairs to the Atlas

"You know, my armor could use some repairs….. Care to help?"

Shila then got up and pressed her finger on Jackson's chestplate. "Why are you given gear you don't even know how to maintain?" Shila said as Salha walked up to her. "You are cold and confident, but if you wish to take on the Reapers and survive, then you need to work with others." Salha said in a low, calm tone.

"Yeah, maybe we can worry about the assholes coming towards us instead of how I am!" The Quarian replied as she climbed back into the Atlas mech. Cerberus troopers were inbound, soon to be on their position, as Julock, Maclean, and Salha ducked behind a piece of cover.

The Lieutenant then raised his N7 Valkyrie over a piece of cover. Jackson stood by the Atlas Shila was using. He drew his biotic whips and laughed loudly. A minute later, Cerberus soldiers ran over the hilltop. The problem was though, these soldiers looked different. Their armor somewhat mirrored the engineer armor, and their mattocks looked different.

"Ajax soldiers!" Jackson cried. The soldiers ran as fast as they could towards the group. All of them fired their rifles at the Atlas Shila was piloting. Even Jackson was going from high risk to retreating back.

"Hold the damn line!" Shila yelled. She then turned the mech and fired upon a group of soldiers, killing them instantly. As Shila killed them, more and more came like an endless horde. Even another Atlas was deployed.

"Bosh'tet!"

Shila then fired her rocket launcher at the other Atlas. When it made contact, it shook the other mech back. Shila fired again, this time dropping it's shields. A few shots and a rocket later, the enemy Atlas exploded, killing all who stood near it. More Ajax soldiers moved, firing their weapons and charging towards Shila's Atlas mech.

All of their fire was directed towards the Atlas. She fired a rocket at them, killing a few of them. More poured over the rubble and hilltop. Eventually, the Atlas took so much fire that it started to smoke. Shila then kicked open the canopy and climbed out. The Atlas exploded behind her right after she got out, knocking her back. When she hit the ground, everything faded to black as Ajax soldiers ran past her.

Shila woke up. Several Ajax soldiers and assault troopers laid dead around her. Amidst the bodies laid the Lieutenant and the Krogan. Only the Justicar and Jackson remained. Shila then looked at the sun set, meaning she had been out for several hours. Jackson stood with his palm on his faceplate.

"You tried your best… From someone from an organization as yours, you fought hard to save them selflessly."

"I really never liked aliens much…. That's why I joined Cerberus, and then the Illusive asshole decided we all need to be slaves for the Reapers. After seeing some aliens in action… Made me think… Made me feel stupid…. Then I fell in love with a Quarian, and she later was murdered by Cerberus operative…" Jackson said as Shila got up. He ran over to Shila and helped her up. He then threw her arm around his neck. Shila drew her omni blade a second later.

"Calm down! I'm trying to help you!"

"I don't need your help, Cerberus!"

"Look! If it wasn't for us two, you would be dead! We killed all those soldiers to ensure you survived! The Lieutenant and the Krogan died to save your ungrateful ass!" Jackson snapped.

Shila then pulled away from him as her omni blade collapsed. She then limped on her own as a Kodiak shuttle flew above them. The Alliance shuttle then landed a second later to pick up the three. When the door opened, Jackson, and Salha got in. Shila picked up a couple of the modified mattocks before jumping in. She then sat in the seat near a corner, alone.

"I'm curious. Why is a Quarian outside the Migrant fleet? Your clothing is an adult, so you're not on pilgrimage." Salha asked.

"I don't want to talk about it." Shila replied as she coughed.

The shuttle flew away from Tuchanka and towards a Turian cruiser that was in orbit. The massive ship opened the hanger doors to let the shuttle fly in. When the shuttle landed, the group left and walked to the decontamination unit. When Shila walked in hers, a Turian technician knocked on the window.

"Ma'am, we need for you to decam yourself, and due to radiation exposure, we need you to remove your suit and shower. Don't worry; we'll make sure everything goes right."

"You have got to be kidding me!" Shila said.

"Sorry ma'am. We have to do it."

Shila shrugged and reluctantly went through the first phase of decontamination. After that, she slid off her mask and started undressing.

"I hate this ship already…." She muttered.

After she was done getting scrubbed down and to quote "violated by Turians," Shila dried off and walked up to her suit. It had been cleaned up and repaired completely. Shila rubbed her fingers on her face. Jackson was in the unit right next to her.

"Damn, I still can't get over those nice curves!" Jackson said. Shila covered her chest and glared at Jackson.

"I'm going to beat you when I get out of here!"

"Good luck with that! It'll take you an hour to get that thing on!" Jackson laughed.

Shila then walked back to her suit and started donning it. She rubbed her hand over her smooth light grey skin, something a Quarian rarely does. After she was done putting her suit on, she tucked in her long black hair and placed her helmet on. She then put her mask on and sealed it to her suit. Finally, she placed the cloth over her suit and left the clean room. Jackson stood outside in fatigues.

"Hey asshole!" Shila said.

"What?"

Shila then swung her fist at Jackson's face. When her fist made contact, Jackson stumbled back. Blood gushed out from his nose.

"Damn girl! Do all Quarians hit this hard?"

"You earned it." Shila replied before walking off. A few Turians walked up to her, but she pushed right past them. "Are Quarians always on a period?" One of the Turians asked. "I don't know. She really hates us for some reason."

Shila looked around the hanger for a place to sleep without being bothered by someone. After a few minutes of searching, she found the perfect spot. It was on top of a large group of creates in storage.

"Perfect."

She climbed up to it and sat down and crossed her arms. She then closed her eyes and fell asleep. Three days without sleep had zapped her energy completely.

Jackson and Salha stood side by side, looking at the create Shila was sleeping on. "Well, she earned her rest." Jackson whispered.

"You try to joke with her, yet she pushes you away. She wants to be left alone so she can attend to her duties."

"Yeah, I'm trying to be her friend. She must really hate friends; hopefully her attitude improves after some rest."

"I remember you being the way you are right now on the beginning of a mission, but four days later you were… difficult to deal with. Every warrior needs their rest before battle." Salha said calmly.

"Yeah, we'll see."

The Valor flew past a destroyed Reaper destroyer and jumped towards the mass relay. Even after gaining much needed Krogan support, it still would not be enough to turn the tide on Palaven. But they just did get a valuable and rare asset. One that may help turn the tide on Palaven later on in the war.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two: Unexpected allies February 6, 2186, 0313 hours. On board Turian cruiser Valor

(Please leave a review so I can improve upon future work)

Shila woke up, reached to her right, only to realize her sniper rifle got struck by a Phantom.

"Damn it…" She whispered. The Quarian then regained her awareness and got up. She then jumped down and reached to her side for her pistol.

"Only for me to realize it's gone." She whispered. However, the rifles she found the day before were still on her back. Shila then moved on and encountered a few Turians.

"Enjoy your nap? I remember you from yesterday. I fixed your suit up and cleaned it."

"Yeah, you got the seals screwed on wrong, and you messed up my HUD. Nice going Turian."

"Sorry about that, but if you would rather be wearing a dirty suit that's radioactive…"

"You-"

"Just kidding. If you can eat it, head to the cafeteria for some grub. Also, squads need registered, and you're blank. I saw another Quarian I think, we picked her up on our last mission I believe. This has taught me that you can find a Quarian anywhere. Perhaps you can get her in your team as well." The Turian said.

Shila then pushed past the two and headed towards the exit. Turians turned to face her, along with Krogan and other species. Most gave her glaring looks when she walked past them. "I need to eat something…" Shila thought.

When Shila got her food, she found a table near a corner and sat there. "At least I went through the immune system therapy…" She said as she removed her mask. A lot of people turned to face her after she did it.

"What? You never saw a naked Quarian in that fornax magazine before? Go eat your food." Shila said as she started eating. A second later, her omni tool flashed.

"What is it?" She grumbled. The Quarian then opened the inbox and scrolled through the messages. She saw the new one and read it.

"_Hello, I am Quarian pilgrim Lsa'Veyya Nar Gojant. I heard a rumor that another Quarian was on this ship, and I want to talk with you. Please, I'm scared."_

Shila then sent a message back explaining that she was busy, and can talk later. A second later, she got a new message.

"_Please don't make it too long. I don't know what to do…" _

"Really? Ugh." Shila then continued eating. Her entire body ached from the fighting on Tuchanka. She then turned to the vid screen and watched the news.

"_The Reapers have taken the Hades Gamma cluster, and we have still yet to learn about the fate of the Quarian Migrant fleet. After a galaxy wide recall of all pilgrims, the flotilla then left Illium and has never been seen since. Rumors say the Quarians are preparing or fighting a war against the Geth. Also, sources say there are now pockets of Reaper controlled Geth across the Galaxy."_

"Reaper controlled Geth? Well, shit…"

"_The Turians have been reporting that on Palaven, the Reapers are deploying Collector swarms to terrorize the population. Actual Collector sightings are also present as well. _

Shila then stopped breathing for a second. "No, this can't be happening… I thought Shepard killed them!" Shila exclaimed. "This is impossible."

An Asari walked up to her and stood there with her arms crossed. "Why do you think it's impossible?" Shila then sat there, motionless. "I thought Shepard killed them." She nervously said. She then finished eating and got up.

"Are you afraid?" The Asari asked.

"None of your damn business, Asari!" Shila snapped back. She then took her mask and stormed out of the cafeteria.

Shila walked through the hallway, nervous. "The Collectors are back? How?" She thought. When she turned to her right, she bumped into a Quarian pilgrim.

"I'm sorry!" Lsa said.

"You are Lsa'Veyya?"

"Yes. Are you Shila'Gersult?"

"Correct. If you would, follow me. We need to speak." Shila then signaled Lsa to follow her.

"Lsa, why the hell are you not with the fleet? There was a galaxy wide recall of all pilgrims, and you disobeyed the order."

"I was… trapped on a colony when it got attacked. What happened was that a squad picked me up, and when I got on this ship, I chose to help. Sure, people gave me mean looks and such, but we're at war against a race of godlike machines."

"Who attacked the colony?"

"It was not Reapers, they were… bug like. They flew and even one of them looked like he was on fire. He called himself 'Harbinger'." Lsa nervously said. The air felt like glass when Shila processed the thought.

"Collectors?" Shila asked.

"Keelah, are they the ones responsible for kidnapping entire Human colonies?" Lsa asked. Shila nodded her head. "I thought that Human war hero… killed them?"

"She only destroyed their main base. And we're going against them on Palaven…" Shila replied.

"Keelah! We are!?" Lsa asked in a terrified tone.

Shila provided no answer. "What gear do you have?"

"I have an M-8 Avenger III, two ops survival packs, a little bit of medi gel, and a bluewire II omni tool. You?"

"I found these rifles yesterday, full auto mattocks. My omni tool is a Nexus VII, and I have four ops survival packs, two thermal clip backs, a stimulant pack, and one thing of medi gel. Honestly, you would be killed within three minutes with your gear." Shila said.

"That's more than most have! Gah, you're such a downer." Lsa replied. Shila then stopped and grabbed Lsa by her arm.

"I'm a downer? Would you rather be stuck with an Asari that's gonna hug you and tell you it'll be okay? Only to be killed by a Marauder? Or would you rather have me push you beyond your limits, harden you, and leave that Asari dead in the field?" Shila asked Lsa.

"I…"

"See you tomorrow for training. I'm enlisting you with me on class one operations." Shila said before walking off. Lsa then ran up to Shila.

"Wait! I have a two person room we both can share!" Lsa said.

"I would rather be alone. I'll see you tomorrow." Shila then left Lsa. Lsa stood there, confused.

Shila made her way to hanger A3, which was called "the lounge" due to most of the squads hanging there all the time. All their weapons, gear, and armor was located there. When Shila entered the massive deck, the room was filled with activity. A group of Krogan were fighting in a ring, Turians hauled weapons and gear into creates, and so on. Over at the other end, there were a few desks for recruitment. Shila walked past a few Krogan and Vorcha to get to it.

"Hello madam. How may I help you?" A male Human asked her.

"I need a squad."

"Would you like to join one or lead one?"

"Lead."

"Alright ma'am, you are responsible for those under your command. It's best if they trust you. If someone has a higher rank than you, they automatically become leader, so choose wisely. You are Quarian, female, what is your name?"

"Shila'Gersult Vas Neema Nar Qwib Qwib," Shila replied.

"Age?"

"I am 22 years old."

"Class specialization?"

"I am a infiltrator class, non-biotic." The Human then sorted out through the paper work.

"Alright, do you have anyone of interest you want in your squad?"

"Lsa'Veyya Nar Gojant please." Shila said as Jackson walked up behind her.

"First time I heard you say please." Shila then slapped Jackson across his face.

"And because I want to see this bosh'tet get killed, add him in. He's a vanguard."

"Yeah, and we need an adapt. Add Bob in." Jackson added as blood dripped out of his mouth. One of his teeth fell out.

"What species is this 'Bob' exactly?" The Human asked. "So, you'll see. I'll bring him in later." Shila and Jackson then turned to each other. "I hope you know that we're going for class one operations. This 'Bob' better be good."

Jackson then put his hands up. "Class one? Oh shit!"

"Ma'am, are you sure you want to? Class one ops usually end with multiple squad deaths."

Shila then pointed at the Human. "Those Collector bastards killed all my friends on First Light. I want payback, and I just read that Collectors fall under class one. Enlist us!" Shila said in a low tone.

"Okay ma'am, so your squad is a class one, not many volunteer, and you have two Quarians, a Human, and this, 'Bob', correct?"

Shila pulled up her omni tool. "Yes."

"Your squad needs a name. Please pick one or make one."

"Omega. We will be Omega." Shila replied.

"All right, we will on announcements or via omni tool list all the new teams. When we dock with the Citadel, you will have four days to resupply your team." Shila then turned around and left Jackson. "I want to talk to this 'Bob', I'll find him. Next time you sneak up on me, I'll slap you even harder."

"Yes please." Jackson replied. Shila removed her mask and slammed it into Jackson's gut

When Shila pushed past a few Turians, she bumped into something that caught her eye. It had six smaller eyes, and stood slightly taller than Shila. Shila stumbled back, and drew the knife that was strapped to her boot.

"COLLECTOR!" Shila shouted as loud as she could. Everyone around her turned to face the two.

The Collector extended it's hand to help her up, but Shila swung the knife towards it. It in return flew back to evade the attack. The Quarian then jumped back up and charged the Collector with her knife. Before she could stab it, Jackson reached out and grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"What the fucking hell is that? What the hell is a Collector doing on this ship?" Shila nervously asked.

"That's Bob. He follows me around all the time for some reason. We were fighting a battle, then all the sudden all the Collectors around us fell. He woke up, and has followed me ever since. I had to convince him to stay last mission." Jackson replied as Salha then walked up to the two. "I have met this creature. He is what we have named 'Awakened Collectors'. For some reason, some Collectors, though not all, have had been severed from Harbinger's control."

Shila then looked at it, then back at Jackson.

"Are you shitting me? I thought it was a Hanar or a freaking Vorcha! Not some damn Collector!" The Collector looked down, then back at Shila before moving past her. The Quarian then ran up to it and got it's attention.

"Let's reach an understanding! I killed over ten of you on First Light, so I drew your blood! If you try anything, I'll kill you! I'll freaking do it!" Shila said. The Collector nodded it's head before moving on. Jackson placed his hand on Shila's shoulder, only for her to shove him away before moving on.

"She's willing to fight Reapers or Cerberus, but she's scared of one Collector?" Jackson asked. "She mentioned First Light, which means if I'm correct, she's that surviving Quarian."

"I get it Salha. She must be traumatized by the event! Otherwise, she would have stayed to her calm, cool nature. I had a friend who was on First Light, her child told me about some Quarian saving her life and that she took an M-8 Avenger and killed a few Collectors. Back then, she must have been an ordinary person."

Salha then nodded her head. "She must have."

Over at Lsa's room, Shila laid on the top bunk when Lsa entered. "I see you changed your mind."

"I was unable to get the gear, when we hit the Citadel, I'll buy some." Shila replied. "Last time we met, you sounded confident and calm. Now you sound badly shaken."

"It's nothing."

"It's something."

Shila then got up and shook her head. "We have a Collector on our team…" She said in a low tone.

"A Collector? How is that possible?"

"That's beyond me. I don't trust it."

"Wait, so you don't trust it because… wait, did you have any run ins with them?"

Shila climbed back on her bunk. "None of your business," she replied.

"Your friend Jackso-" Shila slammed her fist on the bunk. "He's not my friend! Do you all the sudden trust a Cerberus operative? Remember what happened?"

"I remember bosh'tet! He told me about how you freaked out when you met that Collector, and about First Light." Lsa said. Shila then removed her mask and threw it across the room. "Don't talk about it!"

"Fine. I won't then Shila."

"You better get some sleep. I'm going to push you tomorrow, hard." Shila then pulled her hood down and removed her head gear.

"So you went under the immune system therapy?" Lsa asked.

"They needed a Quarian test subject, I signed up, and the procedure was a success. I can go without my suit, but my immune system is still kinda weak. Now enough talk." Shila said. She laid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes.

"Did you enlist us in class one?" Lsa asked.

"Yes. We will do the job right, or get cut down. Now Lsa, go to sleep."

"What happened to the fleet?"

"The morons wanted to go to war against the Geth over Rannoch. We will talk more tomorrow Lsa!" Shila replied.

"S-"

"I'm trying to sleep damn it! Stop talking!"

Lsa then rolled over and muted her helmet's speaker.

When Shila closed her eyes, she could hear screaming in her head. An image of a Collector ship popped in her head, and she saw the sky turn black with seeker swarms. Constant screaming intill all the colonists were paralyzed. Shila's suit was the only thing that saved her from them, as for it hid her from the swarms.

"Make it stop." Shila whispered. "Just stop." The sound of gunfire rang out through her head, along with screaming and crying.

Yet she will have to face her nightmare, her worst fear.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three: First Light (flashback) Date: January 5, 2184. 1102 hours. On colony world First Light, Torch.

First Light was a peaceful colony located in the Terminus systems. A completely unremarkable place, average in every way, the population was little over 500,000. At the capital, Torch, one third of the population was located there.

Over at the comm relay, workers moved creates parts, and equipment back and forth. At the dish itself, A Human and Quarian were hanging from the top in harnesses.

"Shila, I'm telling you. Its hardware damage, this thing is brand new."

"The storm last night knocked power to everything, remember? It could be a failed reboot, which happens with this model." The Quarian replied. Adams then opened the panel and stuck a flashlight inside. "Holy damn, you're right. There's no hardware damage whatsoever. No burned out circuits, or anything." He replied.

"See? I told you so!" Shila jokingly replied. The Quarian then started removing her safety harness. "Watch this!" She said.

"Wait! The fall will kill you!" Adams said as Shila fell. The Quarian then used her biotics to slow down and land safely on the ground. Everyone around them stood in awe. Adams then descended and when he landed, took off his harness. "You're just showing off."

"Maybe I am." Shila replied with a smile.

"Well, you're the ideal worker. Smart, and you have biotics, something rare for a Quarian, am I correct?"

"Yes you are. My mother got sloppy with some eezo one day, and well, first Quarian biotic in 23 years." Shila replied.

"I see. It takes five workers to move a create, but only you to move it. I must say, your biotics are impressive." Adams said. Shila then pulled up her omni tool. "This is odd. Very odd."

"What is it?"

"I can't connect to the extranet, or make any calls. It must be a planet wide blackout." Shila then started walking with Adams. "Could it be an invasion or something?"

"Doubt it. Even if it was, it would have happened by now." Shila replied. After a few minutes of walking, they both sat down at a bench at a playground. Children ran back and forth, playing and laughing. "You never told me about your childhood Shila. I'm curious about it."

"Well, I was born on the Qwib Qwib, which is Admiral Koris's ship. He always spoke about how the Geth were just lost children we created, and other things about them, like how we were the ones who started a war. Then my dad decides to make a deal with the Collectors, and he just got shot, I get transferred to the Rayya with my mom. I met Tali'Zorah, and I and she are best buds. I kinda miss her though." Shila softly said.

"Tell me about your mother and Tali."

"My mom was awesome. She was sweet and loving and warming, and she was a teacher and a medical officer. Very good at her job, and she treated Tali like she was part of her kin when she was over. Tali were someone I could share secrets with and pretty much call a sister. We played together and we would always watch fleet and flotilla a lot. We often during sleepovers shared the same bed and everything." Shila said.

"Wait, was Tali'Zorah that Quarian with Shepard's team?"

"Yes, I spoke to her over an extranet channel when she got back. It took a few hours, but it sounded like she was on an adventure… then some ship blows up the Normandy, killing Shepard in the process. They were never able to ID the ship that did it." Shila then sat back and relaxed. "I can't wait to get home and take a nap."

Shila and Adams sat back and watched the children play. A few minutes later, they heard thunder in the sky. Shila and Adams sprang up. "Keelah, what is that?"

A massive ship pushed past the clouds and flew above the colony. The ship was unlike Shila had ever seen before, as parts of it looked organic fused with metal.

"Get everyone to the shelter!" Shila shouted. Children along with adults ran as fast as they could a second later. Black swarms appeared from the ship, descending upon the colony. Everyone around Shila and Adams ran in terror. "Move, move, move!" Swarms flew down and when they touched someone, they were paralyzed instantly. Parents ran to get their paralyzed children, only to be stung in the process.

"Keelah, this is horrible!" Shila exclaimed, a second later, Adams fell down. "Go without me! Go!" Adams yelled before getting stung. Shila then ran as fast as she could. What she found odd was that the swarms were ignoring her for some reason. Screams stopped, and everything went silent a minute later. Shila stopped and looked around her.

"Keelah… this… is… impossible!" She said, stunned. Humans laid everywhere around her, paralyzed, like they just stopped moving. When Shila walked up to one of the Humans, she set up her biotic field. The swarmer then jumped at her, only to hit her biotic barrier. When she backed up, the creature then continued to buzz around the Human.

"So if… I get too close… then I'll get stung?" Shila asked nervously. All the colonists around her were held in place by stasis fields. The massive ship landed at the spaceport nearby. "Ground zero. If I go there, I'm dead." Shila whispered as she heard more buzzing. Biped creatures descended from the sky and landed.

"No…" Shila exclaimed. The biped creatures were bug like, but somewhat humanoid. Some had four eyes while others had six.

"Are those… Collectors?" Shila asked herself. She then dashed to a create and hid behind it. The Collectors were sweeping through the colony, searching for any who had not been stung. A second later, one of the Collectors was held in midair. It's skin was splitting open, it's eyes glowing a bright yellow.

"I am assuming direct control of this form!" Shila heard. A second later, the Collector landed on the ground feet first. Other Collectors around it fell, and got back up. The Collector walked over to a Human and knelt down.

"Prepare these Humans for their ascension!" The Collector said. Shila accidently bumped into a bottle, which caught the Collector's interest. It started walking towards her direction.

"Please don't find me, please don't find me, please don't find me!" Shila whispered, terrorized. She held her hands over her mask and closed her eyes.

"I am Harbinger, and I know you are hiding. Show yourself!"

Shila stood up and deployed her biotic barrier in front of Harbinger. "A Quarian biotic? Impressive…"

"Get away from me you bosh'tet!"

"You are the one we've been looking for. You are like dust fighting against cosmic winds."

"What do you want?" Shila asked Harbinger. "Bring her alive if possible, but her body intact. Bring her for experimentation." Harbinger said as he pointed at her. Shila dropped her barrier and ran as fast as she could. A few Collector drones along with a Zealot ran after her. Shila threw a singularity at the group of Collectors, catching all four.

"Run. Run away from your doom." Harbinger said.

For ten minutes, Shila was on the run from the Collector forces. Multiple drones had been chasing her since she spoke with Harbinger. "I need to get to the armory!" She thought to herself. She then heard gunfire a minute later. "Someone still alive?" Shila asked as she felt something tear through her arm. She cried out in pain and fell down. Blood drained down her arm. Suit breach warnings flashed across her HUD.

"I need to move!" Shila said as she groined in pain. A couple Collectors vaulted over a piece of cover. Shila using her biotics, slammed one of them into the other. She then continued to make her way to the armory. It was across the plaza, but there was only one major problem.

"Keelah, what is that?"

A massive crab-like creature floated above the ground. It landed in front of Shila and walked up towards her. The Quarian was tiny compared to the massive creature. A second later, a missile struck the massive creature. An YMIR mech pushed past a few creates and fired upon the creature. The Praetorian in turn leaped towards the massive mech to tear it apart. Shila took her chance and sprinted towards the entrance of the police station. Shila took her pass card and swiped it in before opening the door.

The lights were turned off, and nobody was around. Only a few Collector pods remained, stacked up against the wall. Shila walked up to one and took a closer look. The inside had someone in it. "I hope she's alive…" The Quarian then took a crowbar and opened it. A young girl was laid out inside, her brown hair covered her face.

"Isabel?" Shila asked. She then lifted the girl out and carried her over to the armory door. If she could not save the entire colony, then at least she least she can save one girl. When Shila finally got the door opened, most of the weapons had been picked clean. She walked in and took one of the new M-8 Avengers and pulled it out of the bubble wrap. She then packed about ten thermal clips and slung the satchel over her shoulder. A few minutes later, she heard a groining noise.

"Isabella?" Shila asked. The girl slowly got up and turned to Shila.

"Where's Michael? My sister?" She asked. "I don't know." Shila replied as she heard banging on the door. "We're about to be attacked! Hide!" Isabel then walked past her and grabbed a pistol. "No, I'm going to make them pay. Nobody takes my friends and gets away with it!"

"These are not pirates! You're just a 15 year old girl; please don't throw your life away!" The door exploded, and Collectors raced in. Shila pushed Isabel back and sealed the armory door.

The Collectors tripped on one of Shila's proximity mines, killing a few of them. Shila then stood on the stair way, firing down on the survivors. The remaining Collectors failed to realize what was happening before being gunned down. Shila activated the building's defenses, triggering the LOKI mechs. Collectors were staging an assault on Shila's position. All her anger and rage was channeled into her hands, as she held down the trigger.

Collectors left and right were being killed by Shila. They charged in to attack the Quarian biotic, only to be slaughtered. The Loki mechs did most of the killing for Shila, along with another YMIR. A Collector was possessed by Harbinger, and led the remaining Collectors against Shila. "Surrender yourself, or you will beg to be harvested! I am the Harbinger of your ascendance!" Shila then grabbed a grenade launcher that was on the floor and fired it at the group of Collectors, killing them.

"Eat it you bosh'tets!" Shila yelled. The ceiling collapsed, and a Praetorian landed inside. All the mechs fired upon the massive creature, only damaging it so much. The Praetorian was however, near a few tanks full of explosive liquid, which was also near a dozen occupied pods. "I can't… I'm sorry." Shila aimed her weapon and closed her eyes. She then pulled the trigger. When the round hit, the explosion engulfed the Praetorian in flames.

"I'm sorry… damn it I'm so sorry I had to do it…" Shila sobbed. She then heard a massive roar outside. The Collector ship took off with the entire colony onboard. Shila ran outside and attacked any remaining Collectors. She spared none of them, and executed the injured ones. She then fell to her knees and cried. All of her friends were on that ship, likely to be killed in some horrific experiment. Isabel then walked out of the building and found Shila crying.

"You… killed the people in the pods?" She asked. "I saw Michael get dragged in one of those pods, and you killed him?!"

"I… did what I had to do… otherwise…"

"You selfish bitch. You could have saved him, instead, you killed Michael!" Isabel stood with a pistol in her hand. She kicked Shila over and aimed it at her.

"You're lucky I'm feeling merciful with you for saving my life. If I see you ever again, I'm killing you." Isabel then aimed the weapon at Shila's torso and shot her. Blood splattered on the ground, and Isabel dropped her pistol before walking off. Shila cried out in pain.

A shuttle landed near Shila 30 minutes later, and Quarians raced out to secure the area. Tali'Zorah ran up to Shila and knelt over her. "Shila's injured! Get a medic over here now! Alert the Neema that we need medical assistance!" She shouted. A few Quarians ran over to Shila to move her to the shuttle. She could feel blood filling her suit. Everything faded to black a few minutes later, and all she heard was muffed voices.

* * *

When Shila woke up, she placed her hand over her chest and breathed heavily. Tears ran down her face, the first time she cried in years. "Will this nightmare ever end?" She asked herself. She then turned and looked at Lsa, who was packing up a few items. "You seem… shaken. Bad dream?"

"Nothing for you to worry about."

"Shila, I'm just trying to help you, please let me."

"I said there's nothing to be worried about! How long intill we dock at the Citadel?"

"About three hours out. We had to use regular FTL because the relays have way too much traffic. I also heard a rumor that you are a… biotic. Is that true?"

Shila then looked down, and then back up. "You're on a need to know basis."

"It could mean the difference between life or death Shila! We need to know." Lsa said as she heard a knock on the door. "Come in!" Jackson walked in a second later, with his arms crossed. "We heard you are a biotic. Are you?"

"Fine, yes! I am! Now are you happy that I answered?" Shila asked in frustration. Jackson then pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it to Shila. "Remember this?" Shila caught the dogtag and read it. "_Adams Helgo, Systems Alliance engineer corps."_

"Adams?" Shila asked. "Yep. The girl I mentioned, her name was Isabel. She found this laying on the ground, told me to give it to you to ensure you never forget, and she meant it in a bad way type never forget. You killed her best friend that day."

"I had no choice! I did it to survive!"

"I wonder which is more scarred, your body or your mind?" Jackson asked.


End file.
